Here’s a topsy-turvy tip that’ll extend the shelf life of your cottage cheese: Store it upside-down! That’s right – if you can forget about storing it the “proper” way, your cottage cheese will last seven to ten days longer. This is because spores (bacterial organisms) live off the empty space in the container. When you turn it the other way, however, there’s not enough air supply and the microorganisms cannot grow as quickly inside. So give your cottage cheese more longevity by storing it unconventionally!

It’s mosquito season! Are you itching for a method to keep those feisty mosquitoes far, far, away? While some are more naturally prone to being bitten than others, there are some foods you can eat to prevent mosquitos from feasting on your skin. They include garlic, onions, citrus fruits, spicy foods, and vinegar. Like us humans, mosquitoes love carbs, so you’ll want to lay low on them if you plan to spend the day outdoors. If you’ve already been selected as “today’s special” by a hungry
mosquito, try rubbing the inside of a banana peel on your skin to relieve any itching.

If you’re looking for a sleek way to peel garlic cloves, look no further. These rubber or silicone garlic peelers will get the job done quickly and beautifully. Simply insert a garlic clove into the tube, roll it back and forth and –
presto – the skin is removed, but the clove is still intact. This device is really neat for recipes that require whole cloves or garlic slices, as it will actually produce those instead of bruised cloves or crushed garlic bits. The garlic peeler sells for under ten dollars and comes with the perk of ridiculously easy cleanup (just rinse!). Plus, your hands and countertops will remain free of the garlic odor you’d prefer to do without.

spotlight on: MISO

What gives miso soup its earthy, pungent flavor? In fact, what is miso altogether? Miso is a fermented soybean paste that is commonly used to season Japanese dishes. Salt, barley, and rye can also be included in soybean fermentation. Miso is enjoyed in soups, meat, and vegetables. Though high in protein, vitamins and minerals, miso is also high in sodium, so watch your intake!

Is there actual spinach
in spinach pasta?

Spinach pasta may sound gourmet, yet is anything but! Spinach pasta (or, green spaghetti) contains hardly any real spinach, so lower those expectations. In general, per every cup of cooked spinach pasta, there is not even one tablespoon of spinach. Its nutritional value is just about the same as white pasta. Ditto for the other varieties of vegetable-flavored pasta.

Truffles, while possessing an excellent flavor, are an expensive delicacy. In 2007, a single 3.3-pound white truffle was sold for $330,000! When, in 2014, another white truffle (this one a whopping 4-pounder) was auctioned off in New York, all thought it would sell for at least a million. Instead, it went for a “mere” $61,000. Oh, well!

(Coincidentally, truffle oil is low cost, as it generally does not contain truffles.)

Truffles grow beneath the ground, which means that they are dug up by pigs and specially trained dogs. They enjoyed popularity in the early 1900’s, but saw a sharp decline in production after industrialization took hold and the two World Wars were fought. Truffle varieties include black truffles and white truffles and they are indigenous to France and Italy.